Haunted House Party

haunted house party

CITIZEN SPOTLIGHT

The Red Case Society

LIFELONG MUSICIANS STEVE MCANALLY AND PRICE VERNON TURNED THEIR PASSION FOR MUSIC INTO A WAY TO SERVE THEIR COMMUNITY.

By Berlin Green

Sometimes the best way to give back is to start with the thing you love the most.

Price Vernon hit the stage with bands like Big Okie Doom and Ugly Stick, while Steve McAnally played with Killer Gandhi and Nevermind the Embers. After the longtime friends reconnected, they found a way to combine their talents to form The Red Case Society, a charity organization designed to promote local music while giving back to those in need.

“We’ve both worked together in different aspects for many years,” McAnally said. “And like life does, we kind of separated for a while. When we reconnected in April 2021 and spent some time catching up, we both realized we were on the same kind of wave length without even being aware of it. We both wanted to start doing something for the commu nity and find a way to give back and that’s when we came up with the idea behind Red Case.”

The idea for the name came from the Salvation Army’s distin guishable red kettle. McAnally and Vernon painted what would become their signature red guitar case to make their message stand out and held their first Red Case Society show at JJ’s Alley in September of 2021, with artists who helped raise over $3,500 for the Jesus House. The donation allowed the charity to complete its kitchen expansion to grow from serving 60 people at a time to more than 200.

“We’re doing our little presen tation and we were both blown away because they were expecting like $300,” Vernon said. “They looked at us like we were heroes. ‘This is going to build our entire kitchen. We’re remodeling our kitchen and this is going to pay for the entire remodel.’ Steve and I were just like, ‘Wow, are you kidding me? We did that?’ That was the rocket fuel that launched this thing.

“It’s awesome to be able to con tribute to local charities and things that directly affect your

community,” McAnally said.

“But it’s also really awesome to be able to have a vehicle for other people to be able to take that and do it as well.”

McAnally does the photog raphy, records interviews and live shows and manages the social media accounts to promote The Red Case Society and the musicians who donate their talents and time.

“We try to create value for the artists because they’re giving their time and they’re not getting paid. We help promote what they’re doing, because we want them to get something out of helping us. You help us, we help you. We know that just doing music, a lot of people don’t get paid, even the good people. It’s hard for me to do stuff for free, it’s asking a lot of people, so we want to provide value for everyone involved.”

The Red Case Society has over 15 musicians who play regularly, whether busking or at venues like JJ’s Alley, the Core4 Brewing Co. taproom and VZD’s. Each is pas sionate about the cause, including those lost along the way.

“Dean Northcutt and Bobby Mauer were both well known mu sicians in the city that were really dedicated to our cause,” McAnally said. “When we said ‘Red Case,’ and gave them a 10 second spiel, they were there. Every time we said, ‘Hey, we’re doing this thing,’ they showed up without missing a beat. They were there from the beginning and we lost them un expectedly, but both of those guys really exemplified the heart of what we’re about.”

Those that have joined The Red Case Society become like family.

“Warren of War-N-Peace is from Zimbabwe, and he’s a guy who is just so incredible,” Vernon said. “He landed here in Oklahoma City through the miracle of God and just wants to give back to this community. That, to us, really kind of captures the point, like in whatever community you’re in at that moment, you can help. A lot

of people think, ‘Well, I’m just one person, what am I gonna do?’

We’re here to tell you to sing a song. Pick your guitar up, sing a song and you will help your com munity. We’ve proven that. We have a lot of artists who, who have been in need of social services of some sort, have charities, and you know, musicians, a lot of the time are not the richest people … For everyone it’s a passion project, and a lot of times they need help with a lot of different services. So it’s a very, as like I say, an incestu ous family — the people that are helping the people that need help are all kind of the same people. That’s really inspiring to me to see these guys that have been in the position where they know what it’s like. You didn’t need to be homeless or whatever to have problems with addictions or some shit. To see the passion that those people have, about helping the people that are out there now with those exact same things, it just melts my heart into cheese.”

The causes the group supports are endless, but it’s important to McAnally and Vernon to ensure that the money donated goes directly to causes that support the community.

“We always research and vet the organizations we give to,” McAnally said. “Because if we’re gonna bring our friends and our buddies out and we’re gonna give our time for free, we want to make sure that the money’s going straight to OKC to an organization

that’s doing good work. We started with homelessness because we knew that Jesus House was an es tablished charity and when you give to them, it goes directly to rehabilitation, no questions. We’ve done animal rescues, homeless ness, hunger, addiction services, all of the charities that impact our community in the strongest ways are the ones that we’re looking for, to help them.”

Building trust in the commu nity and amongst the artists was paramount.

“We do busking, live shows, all kinds of different things,” McAnally said. “But anything and everything that ever goes in that red guitar case always goes straight to the charity. We said from the beginning that we wanted to be very transparent. There’s a lot of fundraisers with music that you don’t always know if that’s true, so we wanted to make sure that we did it in a way that was honest and that we pro duced evidence of us turning over the money.”

Since its inception, The Red Case Society has raised over $10,000 to donate to local chari ties. McAnally and Vernon hope to see the project continue to grow and expand its reach to obtain new artists and make a bigger impact for organizations in need.

“We’re trying to kind of estab lish a franchise, if you will, in Oklahoma City and beyond,”

Steve McAnally and Price Vernon of The Red Case Society. | Photo by Berlin Green

Vernon said. “Which is exciting, because Oklahoma is kind of the standard for supporting people. That’s one of the things that ev erybody here takes pride in is that we’re a community that takes care of our own. We could have a red case all over the city at the same time which could make a lot of impact. There’s a lot of music being made around the city at all times, so it’s kind of a no-brainer, why wouldn’t you? You literally have to step over a body laying there. To do your thing, just take that energy that it takes to step over him and give that energy to that person who’s in need. Because both of us have been in that position. And a few of our artists have been homeless so they know firsthand both the gesture and the impact.”

The team hopes to see other cities take note.

“We also want to provide an example for other cities,” McAnally said. “Our big picture is that The Red Case Society is a kind of a diagram of how you can do it yourself. Why can’t there be a Red Case Tulsa, Red Case St. Louis or a Red Case Boston? If you have a local organization of musi cians to play in that community, you can play music, and you can raise money for local charities in

your area. That can spread out, it’s something that can be dupli cated everywhere.”

The Red Case Society has made a big impact on McAnally and Vernon’s lives and they hope it does the same for others.

“We like to say that the uni verse does not dictate, it reverber ates,” Vernon said. “If you come out, turn your own light on and help other people, then you’re gonna go back and you’re probably gonna write better songs, you’re gonna be a better person, you’re gonna make better music. It’s re ciprocal in every way that it could possibly be.”

Find The Red Case Society every second Saturday at Core4 Brewing or follow them on Facebook by scanning the QR code below.

Price Vernon fixes sound while Steve McAnally plays alongside War-N-Peace at a monthly Red Case Society held at Core4 Brewing. | Photo by Berlin Green

The Great Reversal

THE POLARITIES OF THE PHRASE “CHARACTER COUNTS” HAVE SHIFTED IN RECENT DECADES.

By Robin Meyers

COMMENTARY

“A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away....”

Republicans and Democrats had very different views when it came to answering an ancient ethical question: Which matters most in a leader, conduct or char acter? Republicans could once be depended upon to stress the issue of character. Is the candidate trustworthy? Does she have in tegrity? Does he keep his prom ises? In short, Republicans wanted to know whether a candi date was a virtuous person. This included the candidate’s private as well as public life, because you cannot separate the two.

Democrats, on the other hand, focused more on the public policies of the candidate. What has she or he done to make life better for others, especially those who need help the most? In other words, what has the candidate accom plished in terms of legislation, which Democrats believed was more important for judging a can didate’s success than personal conduct. Take the presidency of Jimmy Carter, for example, widely regarded as one of the most virtu ous human beings ever to hold the office. A Sunday School teacher may not make the best president, but few doubted his character, just his effectiveness. So why did vir tue-minded Republicans not admire him?

Bill Clinton provided Republicans with perhaps their favorite moral punching bag. By almost every measure, his presi dency was successful, but his moral conduct was the major issue for those who impeached him for lying about his affair with Monica Lewinsky. Never mind that it was a period marked by both peace and prosperity, what people remember is the blue dress, cigars, and the misuse of power—because, as Republicans reminded us, ad nauseam, “char acter counts.”

Then along came Donald Trump, whose moral character even Republicans could not defend, but who promised to over

turn Roe v. Wade, cut taxes for the wealthy, give Israel whatever it wanted, and deal deci sively with our enemies. He was regarded as an outsider, a successful businessman, and was married to a supermod el. As a faux populist, he appealed to working class whites even as he stoked fears about immigrants and people of color. But in fact, he had declared bankruptcy multiple times after failing to pay his workers, been sued over 4,000 times, bragged about his sexual prowess and license, paid off porn stars with campaign funds, and called the press “the enemy of the people.” As for a strongman, he sought to destroy NATO while fawning over perhaps the most dangerous man in the world, Vladimir Putin, while saying that he and the murderous dictator Kim Jong-un had “fallen in love.”

After each new revelation, as it became increasingly clear that this was perhaps the most vile and narcissistic human being ever to hold the highest office in the land, Republicans repeatedly swore that he had gone too far—because, well, “character counts.” But at every juncture, they backed down, because what counts for a lot more than character is power. After beating Hillary Clinton, moving the Supreme Court to the right of the American people, and passing a two trillion-dollar tax cut for those who needed it least, Trump now controls the Republican party, laying waste to any claim that virtue matters, or telling the truth for that matter.

When the former president lost his bid for reelection, he became what his father feared most for his sons, that they would be “losers.” One brother died at an early age from alcoholism and ad diction, while Donald created the Big Lie that the election had been stolen. Rather than step down graciously, as every other American President has done,

Trump led a mob to the steps of the Capitol and tried to stop the peaceful transfer of power through violence. He both in spired the attack and then did nothing to stop it, even as his inner circle and family members begged him to. He almost got the Vice President killed, and by any definition of loyalty to the Constitution, committed treason. So much for “character counts.”

How then is it possible that 82 percent of Christian evangelicals voted for Trump, who appears to be the answer to a new version of the familiar question: What Would Jesus NOT Do? The answer was not to deny his deeply flawed character, but to pro nounce him to be a modern version of King Cyrus, who ended the Babylonian exile of the Jews, even though he was not Jewish.

In other words, you don’t have to be one of us to help us. It’s not character that counts, but victory.

Enter Trump’s pick for the Republican senator from Georgia, Herschel Walker. After demon strating that he knows nothing about government, or begin a senator, or the difference between weather and climate, his former girlfriend has come forward to say he paid for her to have an abortion (and urged her to get a second one), although he supports banning the procedure without exception. In the old days, he would be finished, but these are not the old days. In a prominent Southern Baptist church, Pastor Anthony George held a prayer meeting for Walker and recalled God’s protection of King David.

“This is the fight of his life, holy God,” he prayed, “And we call forth your ministering angels to

be his defenders.”

I recall no such fervent prayers for Bill Clinton, just prayers that the nation be saved for the stench of his hypocrisy. When Republican Roy Moore ran a failed campaign for Senate in Alabama, after he was accused of sexual misconduct and assault by multiple women, evangelicals stood by him. Apparently, God only forgives Republicans.

When Jentezen Franklin, a leading evangelical, was asked why he would vote for Walker given his conduct, he replied, “I always vote for policy more than personality.” Well, not exactly. What he meant was that he over looks immorality by Republicans when it can lead to the policies he favors. Otherwise, when it comes to Democrats, “character counts.”

The Rev. Dr. Robin Meyers is pastor of First Congregational Church UCC in Norman and retired senior minister of Mayflower Congregational UCC in Oklahoma City. He is currently Professor of Public Speaking, and Distinguished Professor of Social Justice Emeritus in the Philosophy Department at Oklahoma City University, and the author of eight books on religion and American culture, the most recent of which is, Saving God from Religion: A Minister’s Search for Faith in a Skeptical Age.

Visit robinmeyers.com

The Rev. Dr. Robin Meyers. | Photo provided

One nonpartisan poll by News9 shows Joy Hofmeister ahead of Kevin by nearly 4 percentage points while a poll from Libertarian Party candidate Natalie Bruno’s campaign puts Hofmeister ahead by more than a per centage point. Meanwhile, an internal poll from Kevin’s campaign shows him ahead by 15 percentage points. Of course it does.

This month, The Five Tribes — the Cherokee, Chickasaw, Muscogee, Choctaw and Seminole nations — en dorsed Hofmeister.

by Jerry Bennett

“When it comes to working with the tribal nations in Oklahoma, she under stands our sovereignty is not a partisan issue or a threat, but instead is a chance to forge new partnerships while strengthening those that already exist because Oklahomans thrive together when we all work together,” tribal leaders wrote in a news release.

In response, Stitt boasted of having “the support of thousands of tribal members across the state.” Uh huh.

And he’s not just floundering with Native Americans.

the Petroleum Alliance headquarters this month, Stitt accused Hofmeister of joining the “Biden Party,” a Trumpian move that is fooling no one who doesn’t vote straight party in general elections. Hofmeister’s gamble of swapping parties to take

And just like Trump, it’s starting to look awfully lonely for Kevin outside his campaign, turning everywhere looking for a friendly face and finding few that aren’t on his payroll.

With last minute/first minute demolition plans filed to raze the First Christian Church at the in tersection of NW 36th and Walker Avenue, another building joins the litany of tombstones from Stage Center to Founders National Bank that have been leveled to make way for the future, however many OnCues it may hold.

Not that the warning would have made much difference, history shows. When demolition plans are announced locally, there’s sound and fury, followed by no concerted efforts to salvage or purchase the property between the commotion calming and the morning that the bulldozers roll onto the lot. The outrage has just become part of the process.

Even the governor’s mansion, which has housed every elected executive for nearly the last century, may be on a collision course with a wrecking ball soon enough. According to a report from KFOR, Kevin submitted plans for a second governor’s mansion that was expected to cost in the ballpark of $6.5 million. Those plans fell flat, and taxpayers instead footed the $2 million bill for mansion renovations com pleted last year.

While no one is complaining that he’s not living in public housing now (and hopefully not in the next four years either), if a future governor succeeds in getting a new residence con

there’s enough history in it to keep the original standing for future gen erations to marvel over.

Well, it’s happened again. A piece of Oklahoma City

history is now a pile of rubble.

Pumpkin Patch

Sebastian Spencer of The Farmer’s Grain

Sanderson Sisters

Witch’s

GAZEDIBLES

Pasta, pasta!

Who doesn’t love a bowl of noodles? Oklahoma City has a remarkably robust Italian food scene and with World Pasta Day coming Oct. 25, there’s a perfect excuse to flock out to your favorite restaurant and enjoy all things pasta. Either new (to you) or old favorites, here are seven spots serving up dishes that will leave you saying “buonissimo” all the way out the door.

By Berlin Green Photos provided

405-702-7773

• 201 S Sooner Rd. venezia-restaurant.com

Tucked away in a strip mall in Del City you’ll find a small family-owned restaurant serving up authentic Italian fare. Their menu is designed to resemble the full course of a traditional Italian dinner, starting from classic aperitivos and antipasto, all the way to satisfying desserts and tasty wines. Try a few different options with their pasta combo or partake in the house special — the Venezia lasagna — or, thick pasta noodles layered with beets and ricotta, topped with marinara and mozzarella cheese.

405-285-5991 • 17200 N May Ave #700 monisokc.com

Moni’s started out small in 2014, but under the guidance of chef Rachel Foster, it has grown into one of OKC’s most loved Italian restaurants. Here you’ll find made-from-scratch Jersey-style pizza and a plethora of flavorful, classic pasta dishes. One to note is the tortellini rustica — a delicious blend of stuffed cheese tor tellini, onions, Canadian bacon, mushrooms and artichoke hearts in a special house pink sauce.

405-848-4867 • 7628 N May Ave. vitosokc.com

Proprietor Cathy Cummings has long made this restaurant a friend ly, comfortable place for guests to find delicious, authentic Italian dishes and be treated like family. Whether you choose the chicken carbonara or the Fat Tony’s special, you’re in for a treat. If you’re a fan of seafood don’t pass up Vito’s surf ‘n turf. This house special offers a tender beef tenderloin topped with blue cheese, marsala wine and veal stock with a three-shrimp scampi laid over cheese ravioli.

Venezia Italian Ristorante

Moni’s Pasta and Pizza Vito’s Ristorante

405-849-6565

• 2724 W Britton Rd. facebook.com/frankiesitalianrestaurant

Frankie’s is Italian comfort food at its finest. The menu boasts all the traditional Italian classics, each cooked just the way you like it in a casual and laid back family-oriented atmosphere.

Start with calamari or baked bruschetta, then try the baked Tuscany, made with a homemade alla panna sauce with sauteed chicken, shrimp and spinach baked with mozzarella cheese.

405-759-3580

• 3000 SW 104th St. victoriasthepastashop.com

At Victoria’s Pasta Shop, you’ll find an array of freshly-made Italian dishes that will leave your mouth watering in memory. Among their unique offerings you’ll find a dish you won’t find anywhere else — Victoria’s signature lasagna rolls are made with homemade lasagna noodles wrapped around fresh shrimp, spinach and yummy cheese, topped with homemade sauces to create a flavorful and filling meal.

405-525-8503

• 700 W Sheridan Ave. joeyspizzeriaokc.com

Formerly a small-scale pizzeria, Joey’s has made their name as a downtown OKC staple with a full bar and a menu filled with delec table and distinctive dishes, some of their own design. For a hearty classic with a Joey’s twist, try the chicken parmesan made with their own parmesan herb seasoning and served on a bed of spaghetti with housemade red sauce, covered with melted mozzarella.

405-608-8866 • 2920 NW 63rd St. piattookc.com

Piatto’s is all about fresh, authentic and flavorful Italian cuisine. Everything on the menu is delicious, but there are a few that especially stand out. Order the roasted gnocchi or the beef carpaccio for starters. For pasta, the pork sugo, pork ragu and homemade rigatoni pasta with pecori no romano. For something unique, the octopus and bone marrow, which is braised octopus in tomato sauce with homemade casarecce pasta and topped with bread crumbs.

Frankie’s Italian Restaurant Victoria’s Pasta Shop Joey’s Pizzeria

Piatto Italian Kitchen

ARTS & CULTURE

Cover of night

NIGHTFALL HAUNTED TERRITORY HAS FOUND ITS HOME AT LOST LAKES ENTERTAINMENT COMPLEX AFTER BOUNCING AROUND THE METRO FOR SEVERAL YEARS.

By Matt Dinger

It was a dark and stormy night. Kinda.

The rains had slacked off but the cooler temperatures hung around at Lost Lakes, 3501 NE 10th St., by the time the actors arrived to start suiting up.

“Suiting up,” of course, meant putting on a myriad of costumes and being caked with makeup for the third night of the season which lay ahead for Nightfall Haunted Territory.

The woods are a flurry of activity, with golf carts whizzing around in the near-pitch darkness, a scratchy squawk of walkie-talkie chatter emanating from them. Co-founder Rad Janloo helms one.

“This will all make sense when you walk through it,” he said as he bounces along a beaten dirt path through a sea of wrecked vehicles towards a shipping container. In and out of it like a trail of ants come and go staples from modern horror fran chises. The blades of Freddy Krueger’s glint in the moonlight as he walks down the hill. He passes Jason Voorhees who is headed up to his place in the haunt.

“This started as a Halloween party in a backyard with my partner Andrew West,” Janloo said.

“There was a lot of planning. We actually started saving up shit for years. We were buying stuff, finding stuff. We had a bunch of materials ready to go before we actually started because we always talked about having a haunt. We didn’t know if it was actually going to come through.”

The pair continued to amass horror paraphernalia over the years, eventually starting Nightfall in its first iteration behind a Halloween store near Interstate 35 and NE 50th St. with about $75,000 worth of materials.

“We had all that money invested in it. In the first year, we did $12,000 in revenue. Oh, we got our asses kicked,” Janloo said.

The haunt moved twice again, ex panding each year and slowly gaining steam until they were approached by Lost Lakes in 2020. The first year there, Nightfall saw about 11,000 people. Last year, it had more than 22,000 visitors, he said. There are no

lines, so once tickets are pur chased, people are encouraged to grab food or drinks from the on-site bar and restaurant. Your party will receive a text when it’s time.

With the popularity comes expansion. What originally took about 20 minutes to walk through now involves 35 scenes over the course of more than a mile of path. The terrain isn’t the most gentle. In order to enter the attraction, you have to walk across a narrow but long buoyant bridge over the eponymous body of water.

Expect to go up hills, down a slide and through a rather noisy trailer over the approxi mate hour’s worth of scares.

“Our first weekend [this year], we had 114 actors. We’re completely full of actors. There’s no empty spots. It’s constantly a scare after scare after scare after scare. It’s not like you walk 45 seconds and there’s nothing there,” Janloo said.

As we make our way through as one of the first groups of the evening, Janloo is handing out praise and criticism in equal measure, both towards himself and the actors. He’s proud of what he’s done but every misplaced light or missed cue, he treats like a personal failure and apologizes profusely.

“Oh, this next guy is great. He’s so fucking creepy,” he said as the Bates Motel sign comes into line of sight as we trudge up a hill.

The priest and possessed girl we just saw, well, they’re father and daughter. Oh, and he’s really a pastor, Janloo tells us.

“Wow. You really nailed it,” Janloo tells one actor after exiting the scene. Another, he doubles back on. “You didn’t even scare a 6-yearold,” he said, referring to his daugh ter who insisted upon making the trek with her dad and brother along with Oklahoma Gazette.

“It takes you through every single horror movie you could think of.

That’s just what we love and we wanted to bring that to life, but also every other haunted house in the

state in the region we’ve ever been to, they do original shit … You could tell from every scene what movie you’re in, per se, for the most part. The Michael Myers scene, the Texas Chainsaw scene, the Krampus scene,” Janloo said.

Nightfall doesn’t go heavy on the fog and smoke machines along the trail, utilizing them only in a couple of the scenes where they’re relevant, but music from the films are also pumped in through speakers hidden in the wilderness.

“In a haunted house, there’s dif ferent ways to scare but also having that audio in your ear is another way of putting that memory back into it. ‘Oh, shit, this is A Nightmare on Elm Street.’ And I think it intensifies the scare,” he said.

All told, Nightfall now has more than a half-million dollars invested in the production.

What originally began as an ex tension of a Halloween party has now become part of a lifestyle cen tered around horror movies.

Originally in oil and gas, Janloo also started putting on conventions. Through founding and running OKC’s Pop Con held in June and OKC’s Horror Con which followed

on its heels in August, Janloo started booking actors to appear for auto graphs and photos at his cons. He was approached by several of the actors afterward who asked him to become their booking agent. Now he represents more than 30 person alities in the business, Janloo said.

Additionally, his twin brother Reza Janloo, operates Elm Street Dispensary, formerly the Elm Street Smoke Shop, in Midwest City. They maintain a pres ence selling pipes, trays, papers and the like at the entrance.

What began as a childhood obses sion for the brothers has no become their way of life.

“The fascination of dressing up and being somebody else for the day is really what got me into Halloween and that’s the earliest memory, really, is just dressing up and trick or treating,” Rad Janloo said.

Nightfall Haunted Territory will be open starting at 8 p.m. on Oct. 21, 22, 28, 29, 30, and 31. General admis sion tickets are $35 with fast pass and VIP options available.

A scene from the Haunted Forest. | Photo by Berlin Green

ARTS & CULTURE

Smoke machines

FOR THE CANNABIS-INCLINED, HALLOWEEN WEEKEND IN THE FARMERS MARKET DISTRICT IS GOING TO BE OUT OF THIS WORLD.

If you prefer your Halloween weekend to be a little more smoky than spooky, Sensi is taking over the OKC Farmers Public Market.

Costumes and Cannabis Wonderland begins at 7 p.m. Oct. 29 in the building, 311 S. Klein Ave. The first half of the event will be reserved for visiting booths and socializing, with music starting at 10 p.m. and running until midnight.

Oklahoma Gazette is a sponsor for the event.

“Think trick-or-treat with 55 of the top cannabis brands in Oklahoma, but they’re activating their booths all around just rad, fun Halloween themes,” Sensi CEO Ron Kolb said. “It’s going to be pretty extreme — there’ll be things like virtual reality on the floor, there will be things like an epic steam punk bike that will take you through time.”

People will have to show their medical cannabis cards and be given a wristband to be allowed to consume inside during the event, he said.

There will also be a costume contest with special prizes for the top three.

Josh Sallee’s 88rec will be headlin ing the musical side of the event with eight musical acts slated to perform, half of which are already working on projects for the label.

Sallee has been spearheading events called MAFF (Music, Art, Food, Fashion) for the past several months with his label, and this show case will be an extension of those.

“Usually at our events, we only

have three on each bill and so it’s going to be cool to have eight people on a bill. Maybe if you missed a MAFF or didn’t get to see a prior one, or whatever it is, it’s an opportunity to see kind of the best of the best of all of them to gether,” he said.

Included with the price of a general admission ticket is a slew of goodies that can be picked up at Hilltop Gardens Dispensary, 1201 W Reno Ave Suite B, starting a day before the event.

“They’ll get to pick from the menu … Every brand is going to be giving away a different number of things, so it will really be deter mined on first come first serve. So you’re not gonna be able to get more than one item from a particular brand. But they’re gonna be able to go in there and get their limit right worth of goodies.

For the VIP ticket holders, a bag will also be available for pickup from the dispensary containing items valued at more than $500 total, Kolb said.

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RUNOFF RUNOFFBALLOT BALLOT

Oklahoma City’s original and longest-running readers’ poll, Best of OKC, is back for its 38th year!

You nominated your favorites last month and we tallied them up, so now we need you to tell us who is the Best of OKC in print or at bestofoklahomacity.com until Monday, Novemeber 28th. STAY TUNED FOR THE RESULTS ISSUE PUBLISHING DECEMBER 14!

BEST PIZZA PLACE

EMPIRE SLICE HOUSE

THE HALL’S PIZZA KITCHEN HIDEAWAY PIZZA

PIZZERIA GUSTO

THE WEDGE PIZZERIA

BEST STEAKHOUSE

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ARTS & CULTURE

Fringe flicks

MONDO MONDAYS BRINGS ITS CULT FILM PROGRAMMING TO TOWER THEATRE FOR A SPECIAL HALLOWEEN SCREENING OF EVIL DEAD 2.

By Evan Jarvicks

“It gives me chills,” Lucas Dunn said.

As film programmer for Ponyboy’s Mondo Mondays, a weekly series of cult cinema screenings, Dunn has seemingly seen it all. From question able bare-budget schlock to esoteric works by underground auteurs, he has curated a startling array of obscure picks since launching the program in early 2020. The one theatrical experi ence he has been dying to have, however, has been out of reach until now. He has never seen Sam Raimi’s Evil Dead 2 on the big screen.

“It’s one of the earliest horror films I saw that made me go, ‘Oh my god. I’m in love with this genre. This is all I want,’” Dunn said.

This year, Halloween happens to fall on a Mondo Monday. When Dunn saw this, he leaped at the opportunity to bring his film series from Ponyboy’s upstairs bar space to the neighboring carpeted balcony of Tower Theatre. Not only will it fulfill his desire to enjoy one of his favorite movies in a historic venue, but it may also bring new weirdos into the Mondo Mondays fold.

“This is the most ‘mainstream’ film we’ve booked so far. I wanted something that has enough wide appeal but still fits into our cult aesthetic,” Dunn said. “I am hoping that people have a good time and then find out, ‘Oh wait, this thing is every single week and it’s free?’”

Spearheaded by Dunn and as sisted by fellow programmers Harold Storey and Joan Stowe, Mondo Mondays is unlike any other media event in Oklahoma City. Storey kicks the evening off at 6 p.m. with his After School Anime block, and Stowe co-hosts the Mondo Monday Movie at 8 p.m.

Each Monday, as the sun sets on Uptown 23rd, Ponyboy’s second floor dims from the nostalgic glow of anime to the dark corners of genre flick ob scurity. By nightfall, faces are lit only by an overhead projector and the venue’s iconic blood-red letters spell ing “OKLAHOMA.”

Following a brief introduction in the tradition of TV horror hosts Joe Bob Briggs and Elvira, previews roll for forthcoming Mondo screenings. Then comes the main course, a feature film pulled from the American Film Genre Archive, a nonprofit dedicated

to cult film preservation and distribu tion with which Mondo Mondays part ners. Many of these movies are so slender in niche appeal that they border on invisible.

“I want to show movies that nobody has either seen projected on a screen in OKC or ever even heard of,” Dunn said.

“It’s a kinda DIY punk rock approach I take with it. We’ll show a serious art film by Alejandro Jodorowsky one week. The next week, we might show something like Pathogen, a zombie movie that was written and directed by a 12-year-old girl.”

Popcorn is available for snacking, though viewers looking to dine more heartily can try anything from pulled pork sliders to vegan cauliflower rice bowls off of Ponyboy’s full menu. Dunn recommends the flash-fried brussel sprouts in particular, but appetites beware. The blood and gore of some Mondo screenings are not for the faint of stomach, so a hard drink might be a better bet.

“I just drink Coors Banquet on draft and a shot of rye,” Dunn said.

With the Halloween season under way, Mondo Mondays has been in dulging in its adults-only space. This year’s creep-themed programming includes notorious 60s slasher pro genitor Blood Feast and obscure 80’s Cantonese squirm fest Centipede Horror. The grotesque thrills will extend through November.

“Halloween is the only holiday that matters to me, and it pisses me off that stores will now start selling Christmas decorations in October,” Dunn said. “If they can get several months for their gaudy holiday, I’m going to get two months for Halloween.”

The extreme counterculture frame work of Mondo Mondays is designed as much to attract fringe audiences as it is to deter general ones. With weird obscurities as its beacon, the screen ings have gradually built a small but passionate community of local misfits and media connoisseurs.

From this crowd came current co-host Joan Stowe.

“I had never met Joan before Mondo. They just started showing up every week and wanted to eagerly talk about film,” Dunn said. “We ended up bringing VHS tapes to swap

with each other.”

At its inception, Mondo Mondays was a joint project between Dunn and another walking cult movie compen dium, Randy Heyer. When Heyer became too busy with other life events, like fronting nationally ac claimed noise band Chat Pile, Dunn lost his wingman. The series needed a replacement, and Stowe was the natural choice.

“I like having a co-host so that, one, I’m not alone on stage, and two, I don’t wanna be the one picking out all the movies,” Dunn said. “That’s boring to just have one dude’s taste curate ev erything. Joan and I have many similar aesthetics but are divergent in other ways, and that helps keep a healthy balance of different kinds of weirdness to cater to a diverse crowd.”

Harold Storey joined as anime pro grammer through his connections with the venue. As host of Tunes/ Toons, a nostalgia-tinged podcast about animation and music, he has worked in recording spaces on Tower/ Ponyboy turf and become one of the building regulars. He had been wanting to hold anime screenings when Mondo Mondays opened the door for him to launch After School Anime, a two-hour block of animation programming spliced with music videos from national and local bands.

It is modeled after Cartoon Network’s Toonami, but the format-bending precedent of Mondo Mondays has allowed Storey to try some ideas of his own.

“I showed the Street Fighter II anime,” Storey said, “and a local video game store (Video Games Plus) set up some game consoles for people to play fighting games on the TVs while we watched that movie on the big screen. It was really rad.”

Together, the three hosts form an eclectic bunch, and that reflects in the standard set by Mondo Mondays. Not only is it a place where cult media fol lowings can thrive, but it is also a means to celebrate differences with unabashed sincerity.

“There’s a wide spectrum with all kinds of art, and so much of it gets washed away,” Dunn said. “At the end of the day, I’d rather watch a movie that cost $500 that was shot in a backyard by some nobody and their friends over a $400 million reboot of Batman. That is art.”

Mondo Mondays presents Evil Dead 2 at historic Tower Theatre on Oct. 31 at 8 pm. Guests must be 18+ to attend, but the screening is free.

Harold Storey, Joan Stowe and Lucas Dunn . |

Photo by Christopher G. Acoff

ARTS

To Hades and back

OKC BROADWAY BRINGS THE NATIONAL TOUR OF HADESTOWN TO THE CIVIC CENTER THIS MONTH

By Adrienne Proctor

“Come see how the world could be, in spite of the way that it is,” croons Hermes, luring the audi ence in with flowery promises.

Hadestown , conceived and written by singer-songwriter Anaïs Mitchell, makes its muchanticipated tour stop at the Civic Center the last week of the month. Originally produced in 2007, Hadestown was an off-Broadway sleeper hit. After the original run closed, the production team re leased a concept album, and that was it for the show for nearly 10 years. A new, updated production debuted on Broadway in 2019 and went on to win eight Tony Awards, including best musical. The touring production, which launched in 2021, is essentially the Broadway show on wheels and features a brand-new cast filling the roles.

The concept album and the stage musical have been favorites amongst Broadway diehards, even the ones who haven’t seen it yet. Hadestown is a mashup of two Greek mythologies – Orpheus and Eurydice, and Hades and Persephone. In Mitchell’s version, Hades takes a liking to the vulner able yet scrappy Eurydice and offers her a one-way ticket to his underground realm, where he reigns as king and foreman. The above world is ravaged by climate change, and Eurydice wanders the

“

barren wasteland — in love with Orpheus — but attempting to survive. Eurydice is enticed by the dangerous offer and succumbs to the temptation. Grief stricken, Orpheus follows Eurydice into the depths, vowing to bring her back from Hadestown . The Fates haunt him along the way, and Orpheus embarks on a journey of self-sac rifice to rescue his love.

Hades views himself as a boss — his underworld workers en slaved by their own shortsighted ness — so the staging is dark and industrial, evoking images of the mines and railroad chain gangs.

The North American tour stars Maria-Christina Oliveras as Persephone, Chibueze Ihuoma as Orpheus, Matthew Patrick Quinn as Hades and Nathan Lee Graham as Hermes. Hannah Whitley is Eurydice.

“Hadestown does such a beauti ful job taking a story that is rooted in an ancient myth and making it relatable to what it is like to ex perience life,” Whitley said.

Hadestown has the power to show the uniqueness of the individual, while also displaying the com monalities we all share in the human experience.”

Whitley said one of her favorite things about the show is its contrasts.

“It shows strength and vulner ability, seriousness and silliness, excitement and fear, love and cruelty. I see myself in

Hadestown

Spiritual House Cleansing

for those same reasons. She’s kind of a tough chick, but she’s also vulnerable. She’s a contrast of all those same elements that are seen in the show. Eurydice doesn’t just explore the idealism of the world. She sees how cruel and scary it can be. But she also sees and ex periences hope and love. One of the most relatable experiences in this character is what it feels like to be young and in love for the first time. It’s exciting, but it’s also scary. I remember that fear and how vulnerable it is when you first realize how much you love someone. I think it’s something everyone can relate to.”

The song “Flowers” is Whitley’s favorite to perform.

“It’s a challenging number. I’m completely alone up there on stage, and I’m under a single spotlight. It’s very challenging to perform. It’s also unpredictable from night to night. I have learned to let go and to surrender to that moment. It’s definitely the song that teaches me the most. Hannah from four years ago would’ve been terrified … Anaïs (Mitchell) has created something great and given the world a gift. I’m so thankful for the support of every person and teacher I’ve had, both inside and outside that rehearsal room. I hope everyone in Oklahoma City can come see the show.”

Nearly every Broadway tour

that comes to town has a perform er in the cast with ties to Oklahoma, and this production is no exception. J. Antonio Rodriguez is a graduate of the University of Oklahoma and makes his tour debut with the cast. The Ardmore native will perform the role of Orpheus on opening night at the Civic Center.

OKC patrons have previously seen him in The Rocky Horror Show at Lyric Theatre in 2019.

“It feels like a dream come true to return to Oklahoma to perform,” Rodriguez said. “I graduated from OU in 2020, and I didn’t get a real graduation ceremony. My last memory of Norman and OU was leaving school at the beginning of the pandemic, then graduating at home in Ardmore. To be able to come back to the city that I love, with such a beautiful show that has so much to say about the world we dream about, is the greatest gift.”

Hadestown runs Oct. 25-30 at The Civic Center Music Hall.

Visit okcbroadway.com.

Hadestown | Photo provided.

BOOKS

Randal Maurice Jelks book signing author will be signing his new nonfiction book Letters to Martin: Meditations on Democracy in Black America, a series of meditations on challenges overcome and challenges yet unsolved in Black America. 6:30-8 p.m., Oct. 20. Full Circle Bookstore, 1900 Northwest Expressway, 405-842-2900, fullcirclebooks.com.

THU, OCT 20

Alexey Root book signing author will be signing and discussing her new book United States Women’s Chess Champions, 1937-2020, which draws on extensive research and Dr. Root’s own expertise to trace the story of women’s chess champions in the United States. 6:30-7:30 p.m., Oct. 24. Full Circle Bookstore, 1900 Northwest Expressway, 405-842-2900, fullcirclebooks.com.

MON, OCT 24

Emily Burns book signing author will be sign ing and discussing her new history book Transna tional Frontiers: The American West in France which maps the cultural exchanges that revealed, defined, and altered the image of the American West in the French imagination. 6:30-7:30 p.m., Oct. 25. Full Circle Bookstore, 1900 Northwest Expressway, 405842-2900, fullcirclebooks.com.

TUE, OCT 25

Mark C. Jackson book signing western histori cal fiction novelist will be autographing his book Blue Rivers of Heaven, the third book in The Tales of Zebadiah Creed series, noon-2 p.m., Oct. 22. Best of Books, 1313 E. Danforth Road, 405-340-9202, bestofbooksok.com. SAT, OCT 22

FILM

Crimes of the Future (2022, USA, David Cronen berg) as humans adapt to a synthetic environment with metamorphosis transformations of their biological makeup some will attempt to police this change while others such as Saul Tenser, a beloved performance artist, and his partner Caprice chose to embrace it by displaying his internal changes in a real time theater to his loyal followers, 8 p.m., Oct. 22. Oklahoma City Museum of Art, 415 Couch Drive, 405-236-3100, okcmoa.com. SAT, OCT 22

Dark Glasses (2022, Italy, Dario Argento) after los ing her sight in a car accident, Diana teams up with Chin, an orphaned boy, to catch a serial killer that has targeted Diana as his next victim, 8 p.m., Oct. 29. Oklahoma City Museum of Art, 415 Couch Drive, 405-236-3100, okcmoa.com. SAT, OCT 29

Don’t Worry Darling (2022, USA, Olivia Wilde) a 1950s housewife living in an experimental utopian community with her husband starts to worry that his company might be hiding some disturbing secrets, 3:30 p.m., Oct. 19; 1:30 p.m., Oct. 21. Rodeo Cinema, 2221 Exchange Ave., 405-235-3456. WED & FRI, OCT 19 & 21

Evil Dead 2 (1987, USA, Sam Raimi) Ash, his girlfriend and a journalist travel to a secluded cabin where they find a tape and an evil book that unleashes evil spirits in which the only way out is to survive till morning, 8 p.m., Oct. 31. Tower Theatre, 425 NW 23rd St., 405-708-6937, towertheatreokc.com. MON, OCT 31

God’s Creatures (2022, USA, Saela Davis, Anna Rose Holmer) a mother is torn between protecting her beloved son and her own sense of right and wrong, Oct. 21-23. Oklahoma City Museum of Art, 415 Couch Drive, 405-236-3100, okcmoa.com. FRISUN, OCT 21-23

Horror Theater Double Feature join legendary host Count Gregore for a haunting double feature of The Brain That Wouldn’t Die and House on Haunted Hill, 9 p.m., Oct. 23. Rodeo Cinema, 2221 Exchange Ave., 405-235-3456. SUN, OCT 23

OK Film Society Horror Film Fest a quad rupole feature of classic horror films starting with Young Frankenstein, Dawn of the Dead, Killer Klowns from Outer Space and finishing with The Blair Witch Project, 1 p.m., Oct. 22. Rodeo Cinema, 2221 Exchange Ave., 405-235-3456. SAT, OCT 22

The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975, USA, Jim Sharman) car trouble strands young couple Brad and Janet at mad scientist Dr Frank-N-Furter’s

castle in this musical sendup of sci-fi and horror films, Sept. 16 through Oct. 31. The Boom, 2218 NW 39th St., 405-601-7200, theboomokc.com. FRIMON, THROUGH OCT 31

HAPPENINGS

An Affair of the Heart a craft show with exhibi tors from across the country displaying antiques, collectibles and handmade items such as quilts, baskets, dried flower arrangements and more, Oct. 21-23. Oklahoma State Fairgrounds, 3220 Great Plains Walk, 405-948-6700, okstatefair.com. FRISUN, OCT 21-23

All Hallow’s Eve Celebration & Auction a spooky fundraiser featuring drinks and snacks, carnival activities, costume ball, auction, and an exclusive preview of the Exquisite Corpse collaboration, Sat., Oct. 29, 7-11 p.m. Artspace at Untitled, 1 NE Third St., 405-815-9995, 1ne3.org. SAT, OCT 29

Dungeons & Dragons & Brews join in on an afternoon of adventuring while playing the fantasy tabletop role-playing game and enjoying local craft beer, 1 p.m., Sundays. Vanessa House Beer Co., 118 NW 8th St., 405-517-0511, vanessahousebeerco. com. SUN, ONGOING

Fall Bulb Sale purchase spring-flowering bulbs with offerings of four different colors of tulips, daffodils and hyacinth for $1 a piece, 9 a.m. - 1 p.m., Oct. 29. Scissortail Park, 300 SW 7th St., 405-4457080, scissortailpark.org. SAT, OCT 29

Farmers Market at Scissortail Park a morning market featuring local sourced options such as, pasture-raised meats, fresh produce and cultivated mushrooms, plants, eggs, raw honey, breads and baked goods, assortments of specialty prepared food and beverage producers, as well as high-quality artisan from almost 60 vendors., Saturdays, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. through Oct. 29. Scissortail Park, 300 SW 7th St., 405-445-7080, scissortailpark.org.

SAT, OCT 29

OKG PICKS

Fright Fest featuring kid friendly activities during the day such as a trick-or-treat selfie trail, little maze and costume contest, and after dark thrilling activities for the brave like coaster riding at night, light shows, stunt shows and the haunted clown cove, Thursdays-Sundays. through Oct. 30. Frontier City, 11501 N. I 35 Service road, 405-478-2140, fron tiercity.com. SAT-SUN, THROUGH OCT 30

Ghouls Night Out an evening of brews and booze featuring beer samples from three local breweries and a mixology class where participants will learn three different drinks recipes, 6-10 p.m., Oct. 21. Scissortail Park, 300 SW 7th St., 405-4457080, scissortailpark.org. FRI, OCT 21

Guthrie Haunts a haunted house covering over 30,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor space full of scares, frights and things that go bump in the night, Fridays & Saturdays through Nov. 5. Guthrie Haunts Scaregrounds, 4524 Riverside Circle, 405-243-7671, Guthriehaunts.com. FRI & SAT, THROUGH NOV 5

Halloween Forensic Night an adult only event where guests will solve real life crime cases, costumes are welcomed, 5:30 & 8:30 p.m., Oct. 21, 28-29. Skeletons: Museum of Osteology, 10301 S. Sunnylane Road, 405-814-0006, skeletonmuseum. com. FRI-SAT, OCT 28-29

Halloween Weekend Party a two night Hal loween party featuring costume contests with cash prizes, drink specials, a photo booth and more, 8 p.m.-2 a.m., Oct. 28-29. Up-Down OKC, 1629 NW 16th St., 405-673-7792, .UpDownArcadeBar.com/ Oklahoma-City. FRI-SAT, OCT 28-29

Haunt the Zoo: All Grown-Up a Halloween party for adults 21+ with this year’s theme being a haunted summer camp featuring karaoke, a haunt zone, lawn games, zombie tag, food, drinks and more, 7-11 p.m., Oct. 28. The Oklahoma City Zoo, 2000 Remington Place, 405-424-3344, okczoo.com. FRI, OCT 28

NW 16th St., 405-673-7792, UpDownArcadeBar. com/Oklahoma-City. WED, OCT 26

Mineral and Gem Show view and shop for jewelry, gemstones, crystals, fossils, tools and more, Oct. 29-30. Oklahoma State Fairgrounds, 3220 Great Plains Walk, 405-948-6700, okstatefair. com. SAT-SUN, OCT 29-30

OktoberWest a German themed festival for visi tors 21-and-over with live music, lawn games, danc ing, costume contest, food and beer, 6-10 p.m., Oct. 28. National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, 1700 NE 63rd St., 405-478-2250, nationalcowboy museum.org. FRI, OCT 28

Sensi’s Costumes & Cannabis Wonderland a Halloween event with over 50 different cannabis ven dors to explore and connect with, VIP lounges, dab bars, prizes and gift bags and more, 7 p.m. - midnight, Oct. 29. Farmers Public Market, 311 S. Klein Ave., 405232-6506, okcfarmersmarket.com. SAT, OCT 29

SMO 21: Monsters, Mutations and Mayhem enjoy a spooky evening at the museum after an “accident” in one of the labs has occurred with hands-on experiments, themed cocktails, and more, 7-10 p.m., Oct. 21. Science Museum Oklahoma, 2020 Remington Place, 405-602-6664, sciencemuseu mok.org. FRI, OCT 21

Spoke Street Night Market a family friendly event featuring over 25 pop-up vendors, food trucks, drinks and more, 7-10 p.m., Oct. 28. Wheeler Park, 1120 S. Western Ave., 405-297-2211, wheel erdistrict.com. FRI, OCT 28

Steampunk Festival a day of creating themed accessories, building mini-bots, fast draw target practice and other fun activities, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m., Oct. 29. National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, 1700 NE 63rd St., 405-478-2250, national cowboymuseum.org. SAT, OCT 29

Festival de Vida y Muerte celebrate the Day of the Dead with vendors, live music, ofrendas and danc ing, noon-8 p.m., Oct. 30. Scissortail Park, 300 SW 7th St., 405-445-7080, scissortailpark.org.

SUN, OCT 30

Festival of Freaks a convention of over 60 local vendors from magic to paranormal, monstrous creature meet-n-greets, unusual performances and other live entertainment, costumes are encouraged, Sat., Oct. 29. Oklahoma State Fairgrounds, 3220 Great Plains Walk, 405-948-6700, okstatefair.com.

SAT, OCT 29

Fourth Friday on Film Row an evening of live mu sic, food, games, and local vendors to shop from, 6-10 p.m. The Paramount Room, 701 W. Sheridan Ave., 405887-3327, theparamountroom.com.

THU, OCT 27

History & Haunts at the Overholser learn the history of the mansion and those who once lived there while exploring the house after dark, 6-8 p.m., Oct. 21-22, 28-29. Overholser Mansion, 405 NW 15th St., 405-525-5325, overholsermansion.org. SAT, OCT 21-22, 28-29

Last Saturdays: Halloween Celebration fea turing a screening of Hocus Pocus on the lawn, face painting, characters and more, 6-10 p.m., Oct. 29. Chisholm Creek, 13230 Pawnee Dr., 405-728-2780, chisholmcreek.com. SAT, OCT 29

Mario Kart N64 Tournament this tournament tests the participants skills to see who will come out on top with prizes from Roughtail Brewing Co., watch out for those banana peels and tortoise shells, 7:30-10 p.m., Oct. 26. Up-Down OKC, 1629

Union Station Ghost Tours learn about the history of the station, complete with the mysterious stories and legends from the past, as well as recent unexplained incidences and ghostly encounters, 7 p.m. & 9 p.m., Oct. 21 & 28. Union Station, 300 SW 7th St., scissortailpark.org. FRI, OCT 21 & 28

Wicked Forest of Terror a haunted forest full of bloodcurdling screams, jump scares, and more, Thursdays-Sundays. through Oct. 31. Wicked Forest of Terror, 9420 W I-40 Service Rd, wickedforestof terror.com. SAT-SUN, THROUGH OCT 31

FOOD

Eastside Fresh Market a weekly farmer’s market with vendors selling fresh produce, homemade desserts, plants and other unique products, 4-7 p.m., Tuesdays, through Oct. 25. Oklahoma County OSU Extension Center, 2500 NE 63rd St., 405-7131125, facebook.com/Eastsidefreshmarket. TUE, THROUGH OCT 25

OKC BBQ Fest a two-day festival featuring a cook-off between pit masters from across the country, live music, food and craft beer, Oct. 21-22. Chisholm Creek, 13230 Pawnee Dr., 405-728-2780, chisholmcreek.com. FRI-SAT, OCT 21-22

Taste of Western enjoy food from several local restaurants, drinks, live music and a silent auction, 6-9 p.m., Oct. 27. Will Rogers Theatre, 4322 N. Western Ave., 405-604-3015, visitwesternavenue. com. THU, OCT 27

Vanessa House Halloween & 6th Anniversary Party a Halloween bash including a dog costume contest, live music and 4 special beer releases with the evening’s theme being Beetlejuice, Sat., Oct. 29. Vanessa House Beer Co., 118 NW 8th St., 405-5170511, vanessahousebeerco.com. SAT, OCT 29

YOUTH

Baby Shark Live! a sing-a-long musical with Baby Shark and Pinkfong as they explore the sea to learn about shapes, colors, numbers and more, 2 p.m., Oct. 29. Paycom Center, 100 W. Reno Ave., 405-602-8700, paycomcenter.com. SAT, OCT 29

Lady of the Camellias the tragic story of forbidden love between a wealthy Parisian Courtesan and a provincial bourgeois gentleman, choreographed by Val Caniparoli, Oct. 21-23. Civic Center Music Hall, 201 N. Walker Ave., 405-297-2264, okcciviccenter.com. FRISUN, OCT 21-23 Photo provided

Brick-or-Treat enjoy a family-friendly evening that includes spooky tunes, roaming characters, photo ops, and trick-or-treating at participating businesses, maps for the route can be picked up at the ballpark, 4-7 p.m., Oct. 24. Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark, 2 S. Mickey Mantle Drive, 405-218-1000, okcballparkevents.com. MON, OCT 24

OKG PICKS

Halloween: An Immersive Screening (1978, USA, John Carpenter) fifteen years after murdering his sister on Halloween, Michael Myers escapes from a mental hospital and returns to the small town of Haddonfield, Illinois to kill again, 6 & 8 p.m., Oct. 31. Rodeo Cinema, 2221 Exchange Ave., 405-235-3456. MON, OCT 31 Photo imdb.com

Enchanted Treat Trail explore the Upper Park’s enchanted trail filled with sweets and activities for kids, 11 a.m. - 6 p.m., Oct. 29. Scissortail Park, 300 SW 7th St., 405-445-7080, scissortailpark.org. SAT, OCT 29

Halloween Trick-or-Treat Event a family-friendly event featuring games, candy, owl pellet dissections, a bounce house and more, 6 & 9 p.m., Oct. 31. Skeletons: Museum of Osteology, 10301 S. Sunnylane Road, 405814-0006, skeletonmuseum.com. MON, OCT 31

Haunt the Harn children are able to trick-or-treat at each of the historic buildings on site, participate in games and crafts and enjoy a hayride, Thu., Oct. 20. Harn Homestead Museum, 1721 N. Lincoln Boulevard, 405-235-4058, harnhomestead.com.

THU, OCT 20

Haunt the Zoo children can trick-or-treat through the zoo with 13 candy stations, enjoy 20 themed photo op booths, a hay maze and other activities, 9 a,m.-4 p.m., Saturdays & Sundays in October. The Oklahoma City Zoo, 2000 Remington Place, 405-424-3344, okczoo.com. SAT-SUN, OCT 21-22, 29-30

Myriad in Motion: Jump and Shout recom mended for ages 4-8, this morning class will teach kids different exercises to a fun playlist and the power of teamwork to complete relay races and an obstacle course, 8:30 and 9 a.m., Saturdays. Myriad Botanical Gardens, 301 W. Reno Ave., 405-4457080, myriadgardens.com. SAT, ONGOING

Pumpkinville more than 30,000 pumpkins, gourds, haystacks and mums transform the Children’s Garden into a magical world for witches and wizards with potion making crafts, magical creatures and more festive fun, Oct. 7-23. Myriad Botanical Gardens, 301 W. Reno Ave., 405-445-7080, myriadgardens.com.

FRI-SUN, THROUGH OCT 23

Storytime with Miss Julie enjoy snacks, crafts and story time, 10:15-11:30 a.m., Saturdays, ongoing. Full Circle Bookstore, 1900 Northwest Expressway, 405-842-2900, fullcirclebooks.com.

SAT, ONGOING

PERFORMING ARTS

Adele Wolf’s Burlesque & Variety Show Annual Halloween Spectacular an annual event featuring burlesque, cabaret, aerial arts, belly dancing, games, door prizes and a Halloween costume contest, 8 p.m., Oct. 22. The Auditorium at the Douglass, 600 N. High Ave., 405-652-9541, auditoriumatdouglass.com.

SAT, OCT 22

Blithe Spirit a comedy by Noël Coward about a medium who holds a séance for a writer and accidentally summons the spirit of his dead wife causing a complex love triangle with his cur rent wife, Thursdays-Sundays. through Nov. 5. Oklahoma Shakespeare’s Black Box Theater, 2920 Paseo St., 405-235-3700, oklahomashakespeare. org. FRI-SAT, THROUGH NOV 5

David Spade a live stand-up comedy performance, 8 p.m., Oct. 21. The Criterion, 500 E. Sheridan Ave., 405-308-1803, criterionokc.com.

FRI, OCT 21

Eat, Slay, Love three women try to take a break from their busy lives by having a self-care weekend at a cabin in the woods however, their misguided methods conjure supernatural forces that terrify them into facing their darkest fears in order to survive, written by Heather Meyer, 8-10 p.m. , Oct. 21-22, 28-29; 2:30-4:30 p.m., Oct. 23, 30. 3rd Act Theatre Company, 12040 N. May Ave., 405-593-8093, 3rdacttheatreco.com.

FRI-SUN, OCT 21-23, 28-30

Hadestown intertwines the two mythic tales of Orpheus and Eurydice, and King Hades and Persephone as they travel to the underworld and back, Oct. 25-30. Civic Center Music Hall, 201 N. Walker Ave., 405-297-2264, okcciviccenter.com.

TUE-SUN, OCT 25-30

Penn & Teller a live illusionist performance by this iconic duo, 8 p.m., Oct. 28. Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, 777 W. Cherokee St., Tulsa, 918-384-7625, tickets.hardrockcasinotulsa.com.

FRI, OCT 28

The Rocky Horror Show newlyweds Brad and Janet find themselves stranded at mad scientist Dr. Frank-N-Furter’s in this groundbreaking musical by Richard O’Brien, Oct. 9-Nov. 2, WednesdaysSundays. through Oct. 30. Lyric Theatre, 1727 NW 16th St., 405-524-9310, lyrictheatreokc.com. WEDSUN, THROUGH NOV 2

Ron White a live stand-up comedy performance, 8 p.m., Oct. 28. The Criterion, 500 E. Sheridan Ave., 405-308-1803, criterionokc.com.

FRI, OCT 28

Sketch-Hybrid Comedy Show a live stand-up comedy performance, 7 p.m., Oct. 19. Ponyboy, 423 NW 23rd St., 405-602-5985, ponyboyokc.com.

WED, OCT 19

Spooks, Spirits, Fears and Beers live perfor mances by Opera on Tap featuring dark macabre op era singers while guests enjoy local craft beer, 8 p.m., Oct. 28. Angry Scotsman Brewing, 704 W. Reno Ave., 405-673-7713, angryscotbrew.com.

FRI, OCT 28

Sunday Gospel Brunch a comedy performance over brunch hosted by Kitty Bob and Norma Jean as they mix a farcical church service with skits, sing-alongs, and drag, Noon & 1:30 p.m. The Boom, 2218 NW 39th St., 405-601-7200, theboomokc. com. SUN, ONGOING

ACTIVE

Discover Kayak Class a 90-minute class that teaches the basic strokes, maneuvering techniques, and general safety rules for recreational paddling, 6-7 p.m., Weds.; 10-11 a.m., Sat. Riversport OKC, 800 Riversport Drive, 405-552-4040, riverspor tokc.org. WED & SAT, ONGOING

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Discover Ski Class first-time skiers learn the basics of turning, slowing, and stopping on the slopes all on a customized surface that replicates the feel of snow, 6:30-7:30 p.m. Weds. and Sun.; 10-11 a.m. Sat. Riversport OKC, 800 Riversport Drive, 405-552-4040, riversportokc.org. WED, SAT-SUN, ONGOING

Discover Surf Class learn to surf in less than two hours from bodyboarding to full standing, once the basics are down then it is onto techniques, turning, balancing and wiping out, 6:30-7:30 p.m. Weds. and Sun.; 10-11 a.m. Sat. Riversport OKC, 800 Riversport Drive, 405-552-4040, riversportokc.org. WED, SAT-SUN, ONGOING

Free Yoga in the Park an all-levels class on the Devon Lawn; bring your own water and yoga mat., 6 p.m. Tuesdays and 9 a.m. Saturdays. Myriad Botanical Gardens, 301 W. Reno Ave., 405-445-7080, myriadgardens.com. TUE & SAT, ONGOING

Myriad in Motion: Yoga bring your mat and water for an all-levels yoga class with instructors from YMCA, 6 p.m. Tuesdays and 9 a.m. Saturdays. Myriad Botanical Gardens, 301 W. Reno Ave., 405-445-7080, myriadgardens.com. TUE & SAT, ONGOING

Myriad in Motion: Zumba grab your gym clothes and shoes for a cardio Latin-inspired dance workout led by Evelin Pino with YMCA, 6:45 p.m. the first and third Thursdays of the month thru Oct. Myriad Botanical Gardens, 301 W. Reno Ave., 405-445-7080, myriadgardens.com.

THU, ONGOING

OKC Touch Rugby Practice an evening of play ing touch rugby for beginning to advanced players on the Love’s Travel Stops Great Lawn, 6:30-8:30 p.m., Wednesdays, through Oct. 26. Scissortail Park, 300 SW 7th St., 405-445-7080, scissortailpark.org.

WED, THROUGH OCT 26

Sunset Kayak Experience a sunset paddling ex cursion with a guided tour through the Stinchcomb Wildlife Refuge, 8-9 p.m., every other Wednesday. Lake Overholser Boathouse, 3115 E. Overholser Drive, 405-552-4040, riversportokc.org/lake-overholser.

EVERY OTHER WED, ONGOING

Wheeler Crit cheer on Oklahoma’s top cyclists at this weekly race around the Wheeler District, 5:30 p.m., Tuesdays, through Nov. 4. The Big Friendly Brewery & Taproom, 1737 Spoke St., 405-492-3785, thebigfriendly.com. TUE, THROUGH NOV 4

Zumba at Scissortail Park participate in a weekly free class at the Sky Rink Event Pavilion, 9-10 a.m., Saturdays, through Oct. 29. Scissortail Park, 300 SW 7th St., 405-445-7080, scissortailpark.org.

SAT, THROUGH OCT 29

VISUAL ARTS

Adult Night at Mix-Tape an after-hours event that allows those 18 and over a night to explore this immer sive experience, third Thursday of every month, 7-10 p.m. through Dec. 15. Factory Obscura, 25 NW 9th St., factoryobscura.fun. THU, THROUGH DEC 15

Art of Beer a free, family-friendly event, celebrating art, brewing and community in Automobile Alley, event goers can make art, enjoy live music and food trucks, play games and purchase beer from local Auto Alley breweries including Prairie Artisan Ales, Twisted Spike Brewing Company, Vanessa House Beer Co. and Skydance Brewing. Noon-6 p.m., Oct. 22. Oklahoma Contemporary Arts Center, 11 NW 11th St., 405-951-0000, okcontemp.org. SAT, OCT 22

Bricklive Animal Paradise features statues of endangered animals with the entire installation being made of almost two million toy building blocks, through Oct. 30. The Oklahoma City Zoo, 2000 Remington Place, 405-424-3344, okczoo.com. THROUGH OCT 30

Chihuly Then and Now: The Collection at Twenty an exhibition celebrating the 20th an niversary of the Chihuly collection at OKCMOA show casing five decades of glass and painting telling the story of his groundbreaking career featuring never before seen works in Oklahoma City, through June 18, 2024. Oklahoma City Museum of Art, 415 Couch Drive, 405-236-3100, okcmoa.com. THROUGH JUNE 18, 2024

The Elevate at 21c a program that presents exhibitions for local artists in the community which currently features works by Virginia Sitzes and a collaboration between Denise Duong and Gabriel Friedman, through Jan. 31, 2023. 21c Museum Hotel, 900 W. Main St., 405-982-6900, 21cmuseumhotels. com. THROUGH JAN 31

Highlights from the Rose Family Glass Col lection this private curated collection showcases a broader look at the Studio Glass movement that be gan in the 1950s in America and continues to present date, through Jan. 15, 2023. Oklahoma City Museum of Art, 415 Couch Drive, 405-236-3100, okcmoa.com. THROUGH JAN 15, 2023

The Horse’s Landscape features artists Carol Armstrong, Diana Beach-Stamper, J. Dylan Cavin, and Linda Kukuk, whose works give a traditional view of the Native American horse, their riders, their wild, and the west. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. through Nov. 10. Red Earth Art Center, 100 N. Broadway Ave., Ste 110, 405-427-5228, redearth.org. THROUGH NOV 10

In Living Color featuring works of 3 artists, Brent Learned, Katie Henderson and Rebecca Wheeler, through Oct. 29. JRB Art at The Elms, 2810 N. Walker Ave., 405-528-6336, jrbartgallery.com. FRI-SAT, OCT 29

vendors, blacksmithing, lace tatting, sheep

highland cattle and more, 6-9 p.m., Oct. 21; 10 a.m.-9 p.m., Oct. 22; 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Oct. 23. Choctaw Creek Park, 2100 N. Harper Road, Choctaw, 405-6731121, unitedscotsok.com. FRI-SUN,

Oklahoma Highland

OKG PICKS

Taste of the Philippines sample authentic Filipino dishes such as chicken pancit, chicken adobo, beef lumpia and more while enjoying cultural performances throughout the evening, Sat., Oct. 22. 405-514-3701, Mayfair Church of Christ, 2340 NW 50th St. SAT, OCT 22 Photo Shutterstock

Jose Dávila features sculptures in which the artist has balanced industrial materials in precarious ways off of fabricated construction, through May 2023. Oklahoma Contemporary Arts Center, 11 NW 11th St., 405-951-0000, oklahomacontemporary. org. THU-SAT, THROUGH MAY 2023

Kiarostami: Beyond the Frame features a mul timedia collection of artwork by Iranian filmmaker, photographer and visual artist, Abbas Kiarostami, Through April 9, 2023. Oklahoma City Museum of Art, 415 Couch Drive, 405-236-3100, okcmoa.com. SAT-TUE, THROUGH APR 9, 2023

Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel: The Exhibition Rome viewers can get a face-to-face experi ence with a reproduction of the original work, Thursdays-Sundays, through Dec. 5. Sail & The Dock, 617 W. Sheridan Ave., 218-355-8467, cha pelsistine.com/exhibits/oklahoma-city. FRI-SUN, THROUGH DEC 5

Of the Earth: Creating First Americans Museum view the architectural history of the museum being constructed from the stage of construction to the people involved in its creation, ongoing. First Americans Museum, 659 First Americans Blvd., 405-594-2100. ONGOING

OKLA HOMMA the signature exhibition of the museum, features works of art, interactive media, and film from all 39 tribes in Oklahoma as of today depicting stories with ancestral origins, collective histories, sports and more, ongoing. First Ameri cans Museum, 659 First Americans Blvd., 405-5942100. ONGOING

One Hundred Years of Revolution: French Art from 1850 to 1950 features works arranged in chronological order to show how the French artists changed from creating realistic depictions of the world to abstract compositions over a 100 year period, through Feb. 19, 2023. Oklahoma City Museum of Art, 415 Couch Drive, 405-236-3100, okcmoa.com. THROUGH FEB 19, 2023

Perception and Technique in Abstract Art features works covering two different techniques of abstract styles through various artists, through Jan. 15, 2023. Oklahoma City Museum of Art, 415 Couch Drive, 405-236-3100, okcmoa.com. THROUGH JAN 15, 2023

Robert Rauschenberg: Pressing News features work by Robert Rauschenberg from his Currents exhibition in which he collaged together headlines, photographs, advertisements, and articles from national newspapers, through Feb. 27, 2023. Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art, 555 Elm Ave., 405-3253272, ou.edu/fjjma. THROUGH FEB 27, 2023

Sahara Sea Monsters features fossilized specimens of several famous dinosaurs and reptiles from the ancient Sahara, including Spinosaurus, Mosasaurus and more, Through Feb. 12, 2023. Sam Noble Museum, 2401 Chautauqua Ave., 405-325-4712, samnoblemuseum.ou.edu. SAT-TUE, THROUGH FEB 12, 2023

Selections from In Citizen’s Garb: Native Americans on the Southern Plains an exhibit displaying modern gelatin silver prints made from glass plate negatives of Indigenous people in the Lawton and Fort Sill area from 1889 to 1891, ongo ing. Oklahoma History Center, 800 Nazih Zuhdi Drive, 405-521-2491, okhistory.org. TUE-MON, ONGOING

The SuperNatural an exhibit features works from several artists focusing on a new world whose shape and matter will be determined by human activity. 21c Museum Hotel, 900 W. Main St., 405982-6900, 21cmuseumhotels.com. THROUGH FEB 28, 2023

Synesthesia Factory Obscura’s newest immersive art experience focusing on color and textural ele ments while guests open their senses to discover what colors sound and smell like. Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art, 555 Elm Ave., 405-325-3272, ou.edu/fjjma. THROUGH JUNE 4, 2023

Traditional Cowboy Arts Exhibition and Sale a showcase of saddle making, bit and spur making, silversmithing and rawhide braiding, Sept. 30-Jan. 2. National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, 1700 NE 63rd St., 405-478-2250, na tionalcowboymuseum.org. FRI-SAT, THROUGH JAN 2

What Would They Have Wanted? featuring works by Sylvie Mayer that focuses on the process of grieving, the associated ceremonies and coming to terms with loss, Sept. 29-Oct. 22. Artspace at Untitled, 1 NE 3rd St., 405-815-9995, 1ne3.org.

THU-SAT, SEPT 29-OCT 22

WINIKO: Life of an Object, Selections from the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian reflecting on the Native belief that their cultural materials hold the spirit of their makers and those who wore or used them this exhibit features of over 100 items that have been returned to the 39 tribes of Oklahoma after being taken from them in the early 1900s, ongoing. First Americans Museum, 659 First Americans Blvd., 405-594-2100. ONGOING

Dark Arts Exhibition

Submissions must be received by Oklahoma Gazette

later than noon on Wednesday

before the

date.

run as space allows, although we strive

make

Showing

MUSIC

Halloween to the extreme

OKLAHOMA’S PREMIER 90S TRIBUTE ROCKERS MY SO-CALLED BAND KEEP HALLOWEEN TRADITION ALIVE WITH BACK-TOBACK BEER CITY BASHES.

By Brett Fieldcamp

Without question, one of the modern Oklahoma music scene’s greatest institutions is My SoCalled Band, the “mostly” 90s cover act that packs rooms and picks at nostalgia all over the state, prompting the kind of full-throat ed, drunken singalongs most major acts can only dream of.

As raucous and radical as an average MSCB show can be, the wildest way to see them is their annual costumed Halloween show.

“One year we were all Jurassic Park characters. One year we were all 90s SNL. One year we were classic movie monsters,” bassist Kyle Davis said. “We were actu ally all 90s artists one year. I was Marilyn Manson, Carly was Britney Spears, Zach was Garth Brooks, Arash was Snoop, and Ricky was Kurt Cobain. Ricky is the king of costumes.”

“He’s very tal ented with the costumes, yeah,” singer Carly Gwin adds. “So we will definitely be doing costumes for these shows.”

This two-night Beer City resi dency – billed as the Haunted House Party – is set to be one of the band’s biggest undertakings yet, spanning a full weekend over Friday, Oct. 28 and 29.

They’re staying tight-lipped about what kind of costumes they’ll be donning this year but hinted at the setlist theme.

“We’re hoping to make it spooky-ish,” Davis said. “I mean, we still have to play a lot of songs. We play all night and have a lot of time to fill.”

So no grunge rendition of “Monster Mash?”

“Oh, I don’t know. We don’t really do that kind of thing. We really play earnest covers, you know. We try to make them sound like the albums and the artists that we’re covering.

Although, I guess we played BOK one year and threw in a couple of Christmas songs, like ‘All I Want for Christmas is You.’”

They really do love that 90s period of music, and they know how fun and important it can all be for their audience. They pack their sets full of a massive, seem ingly random range of styles and artists knowing that, inside the warm, nostalgic embrace that

anybody play it live,” Davis added. “Or anyone do it in a way that’s like, if you squint your eyes, it’s almost like you’re watching the real band do it. It just feels more like a real band and not just gim micky, like we’re not dressing up in stupid costumes. Although, we will be dressing up in stupid cos tumes for Halloween.”

So are they trying to avoid being seen as just an entertaining novelty

The band’s emphasis on fun and feeling has seen them pulled farther and farther out of Oklahoma recently, even bringing their revue to the legendary Granada Theater in Dallas.

“That went really well, actu ally,” Davis said. “It definitely exceeded expectations, so we’ll be trying to do that at least semi-regularly.”

No matter how much success they see, though, the band remains aware that they’re providing a dif ferent kind of entertainment for a different kind of crowd.

“You know, it’s a band with an asterisk,” Davis explained. “It’s a different thing and it just feels like its own thing.”

Whether you’re craving a sweet hit of 90s nostalgia or you’re just looking for a wild Halloween party, My So-Called Band is set to provide the goods.

Just don’t ask them what kind of costumes they’re planning. It’s a secret.

“All we can say is that it’ll be a surprise,” Davis said, “and that we’ll have different costumes each night.”

And definitely no “Monster Mash,” then?

they offer, the memories of that time can actually be more impor tant than the music itself.

“Even if it’s not a song that you necessarily even remember liking,” Gwin said, “the memory of that song and where you were when you heard it, like, that can have so much nostalgia.”

“And maybe you never heard

act? Does My So-Called Band want to be a so-called “real band”?

“I don’t think we care that much, to be honest,” Davis said, laughing. “The answer I guess is just that we don’t really think about it. And also that we’re all lazy and we don’t want to have gimmicky costumes that we always have to wear.”

“Nah,” Davis said. “I’m more of a ‘Werewolf Bar Mitzvah’ guy.”

My So-Called Band. | Photo by Berlin Green

Ricky Salthouse, Kyle Davis, Arash Davari, Zach Nedbalek and Carly Gwin of My So-Called Band. | Photo by Berlin Green

House of ideas

SIXTWELVE IS RAMPING UP ARTS EDUCATION WITH ITS FIRST FRIDAY CONCERT SERIES IN THE PASEO.

By Brett Fieldcamp

MUSIC

2020 saw a loss of jobs, of homes, of community, and, for many, even the loss of access to their own art and creativity.

Amy Young, owner and founder of art school and community center SixTwelve in the Paseo, nearly lost all of those things and more.

“I had to choose between selling my house or selling SixTwelve,” Young said. “But I thought about how so many people in the community had in vested in this. It’s my dream since I was a little girl, since I was like eight years old, and it’s all my dreams come true. So I just chose to sell my house instead and move in here.”

Young bought the space in 2010 and promptly started renovating the historical house to prepare for it to be a communal space focused on fostering a love of art in all its forms: visual, musical, botanical, and even culinary.

“I saved and saved to build that teaching kitchen here,” she said. “Kids can grow food in the gardens here and then bring it in here and learn how to cook it.”

This huge, historic house in the equally historic Paseo was in quite a state when Young first began transforming it into the arts space of her dreams. The work drug on even longer than expected, with SixTwelve’s first student programs not kicking off until 2015.

“It took us five years just to rezone and renovate,” she said. “We had to go through like five different commissions’ staff meetings and hearings and some times twice if we didn’t get things approved the first time. It’s a lot of recycled materials and that kind of thing, but it’s all historic preservation. It definitely is a work of love.”

Now that things are reopening and SixTwelve’s student programs are getting back underway, Young wants to start utilizing the build ing’s beautiful spaces and fortu nate placement within the Paseo to showcase the school’s ethos and focus on encouraging new genera

tions toward creativity.

The result is a slate of musical performances and open houses during the Paseo’s First Friday art walks.

October’s event kicked it off with Lust Online and Keathley in the beautiful outdoor garden space, and November is set to feature Labrys and Hannah Edmondson. December’s event is planned to be a bigger winter holiday fundraiser featuring Mallory Eagle and Chelsea Cope.

“I intentionally did it with an all female-identifying, women focus,” Young explained. “Basically because every weekend, every bar is like rock-and-roll camp for boys, and I think we have a whole lot of musical talent in women in this city and in this state.”

Providing an encouraging and empowering place for women to explore and grow their art is a

now. I want to help empower girls here to think for themselves and to make decisions. To think about what their voice is and how they

the space used to provide.

If it’s creative, Young wants to explore it, not only from a teach ing angle, but with her own expe riences as well.

She’s currently learning more about cooking, how to play drums and is having more fun than ever educating herself in adulthood. It’s all part of her own drive to gain and understand all the different languages of art and creativity to better teach and express it all to students.

longstanding passion for Young.

“We actually had Rock-andRoll Camp for Girls here for five years before the pandemic hit. Carter Sampson and I worked to gether on that for a long time, and so I wanted to do something that continued to support women in music. And of course it’s also kind of an answer to the way we’re treating women in the state right

use it and to be proud of them selves and not think that they have to be quiet, you know.”

With SixTwelve finally welcom ing students and children back into the space to learn how to ap proach art and how to understand their own creative impulses, Young’s next hope is to start rein troducing the adult artist residen cies and children’s art camps that

“The idea for all of this really came from the fact that I have a background in music and teach ing,” she said. “I taught music in an elementary school for eight years and then I moved up here to work at the Oklahoma City Museum of Art, and then I went back to school for art history. So my background is in art and music and education. The whole time I was teaching, I kept this little list of all the things I would do differ ently if I ever had my own school and my own space. So this is kind of the result of it.”

Amy Young. | Photo by Brett Fieldcamp

The interior of SixTwelve. | Photo by Brett Fieldcamp

OVERMAN

These are events recommended by Oklahoma Gazette editorial staff members. For full calendar listings, go to okgazette.com.

WEDNESDAY, OCT. 19

Chase Kerby, The Jones Assembly. SINGER/ SONGWRITER

Corb Lund/ Lauren Morrow, Beer City Music Hall. COUNTRY

Flipper/Sumpp/Shaka/The Killings, 89th Street—OKC. ROCK

Trett Charles, River Spirit Casino Resort, Tulsa. COUNTRY

THURSDAY, OCT. 20

Amy Grant, Rose State College Hudiburg Chevrolet Center. COUNTRY

BC & The Big Rig/Kimmi Bitter, Blue Note. RED DIRT

Carter Sampson, The Jones Assembly. SINGER/ SONGWRITER

DJ Ecog, River Spirit Casino Resort, Tulsa. VARIETY

Pecos & The Rooftops, Cain’s Ballroom, Tulsa. COUNTRY

Shelly Phelps and The Storm, Bourbon Street Bar. BLUES

Short & Broke/ The BlueRays,/JL Jones, Mojo’s Blues Club. BLUES

Stan Carrier, Angry Scotsman Brewing. ACOUSTIC

FRIDAY, OCT. 21

Brandon Bethel/Denise Hoey, River Spirit Casino Resort, Tulsa. COUNTRY

CJ & Stieg/Baileyboy, The Deli. ROCK

Forgotten Space, 79th St. Sound Stage Produc tions. TRIBUTE

Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons, River Spirit Casino Resort, Tulsa. ROCK

Freak City Halloween Show with Caustic/Primal Brian/Inferna/Grandpa Vern/Shaka, 89th Street—OKC. PUNK

Gasolina, Tower Theatre. REGGAETON

Jessica Tate, The Deli. INSTRUMENTAL

Josh Roberts, The Jones Assembly. POP

Lincka, Beer City Music Hall. ALTERNATIVE Melvins/We Are the Asteroid/Taipei Hous ton, Cain’s Ballroom. ROCK

Poor Sap/Harry Zimm/Cut Throat Finches, Ponyboy. INDIE

Scott Ryan & The Devilish Folk, Core4 Brewing. FOLK

The So Longs/The Wickers/Shift, Blue Note. ROCK

Sports/Combsy/Sydney Lee, The Vanguard, Tulsa. POP

Tony DeSare, UCO Jazz Lab. JAZZ

Tyler Lee Band, Hollywood Corners. COVER

SATURDAY, OCT. 22

Agent Orange, 89th Street—OKC. PUNK

Caleb McGee & The Underdogs, Blue Note. COUNTRY

Cindy Scarberry/Tanner Fields/Allison Arms/ Keith Manns/Amber Norlin/AJ Davis, Rodeo Opry. COUNTRY

Dead Metal Society, The Vanguard, Tulsa.

METAL

FreakFest - Texas Kiss-Destroyer/CRÜEli gans/ Echo-21, Diamond Ballroom. COVERS

Kenny Pitts, Grand Casino Hotel & Resort. COUNTRY Mallory Eagle/The Pearl Snaps, Hollywood Corners. BLUEGRASS

McKee Brother Jazz Band, Bourbon Street Bar. JAZZ

Melvins, Beer City Music Hall. ROCK

Nia Mone/Jmasty/Bee Pichardo, The Deli.

SINGER/SONGWRITER

Rodney Carrington, Sugar Creek Casino, Hinton. COUNTRY

Smilin’ Vic, UCO Jazz Lab. BLUES

An Evening of Steely Dan, 79th St. Sound Stage Productions. TRIBUTE

Stoney Larue/Bo Phillips, Cain’s Ballroom, Tulsa. COUNTRY

Unlikely Blues Band, Bedlam Bar-B-Q. BLUES

Yacht Club/Jake & The Idoles, River Spirit Casino Resort, Tulsa. ROCK

Yippee Ki Yay, Red Brick Bar. COUNTRY

SUNDAY, OCT. 23

Brent Giddens, River Spirit Casino Resort, Tulsa. COUNTRY

Highly Suspect, Cain’s Ballroom. ROCK

Hosty, The Deli. ELECTRIC

Jared Lee Cross, Hollywood Corners. COUNTRY

Monica Taylor & Travis Fite, Cain’s Ballroom. SINGER/SONGWRITER

Shadow of Intent/Enterprise Earth/Inferi/ Wormhole, 89th Street—OKC. METAL

Tin Can Gramophone/Hosty, The Deli. FOLK

MONDAY, OCT. 24

The Aints/Bailey Gilbert & Friends, The Deli.

AMERICANA

Barrett Lewis, River Spirit Casino Resort, Tulsa.

ROCK

Bashed In/Agony/Typhoid/Antipath/Chip Mantooth, The Sanctuary. METAL

Mental Mondaze, Hubbly Bubbly Hookah & Café.

VARIOUS

Sasha and the Valentines/Lust Online/ Endocrince Twins, Ponyboy. ALTERNATIVE

TUESDAY, OCT. 25

Alexa, Tower Theatre. K-POP

Ben Neikirk, River Spirit Casino Resort, Tulsa. COVER

Bruce Benson & Studio B, 51st Street Speakeasy. BLUES

Caleb McGee, The Deli. BLUES

Jordy Searcy/Julianna Zachariou, Beer City Music Hall. POP

Max & Iggor Cavalera, The Vanguard, Tulsa. METAL

Night Moves/Shady Cove, Ponyboy. ROCK

Omar Apollo, Cain’s Ballroom. R&B

WEDNESDAY, OCT. 26

Archer Oh, The Vanguard, Tulsa. ALTERNATIVE Bottom of the Barrel, Hollywood Corners. BLUEGRASS

Brandon Birdwell, The Jones Assembly. SINGER/SONGWRITER

DJ Afistaface, Blue Note. DJ

Gogol Bordello, Cain’s Ballroom, Tulsa. ROCK Kendrick McKinney Trio, 51st Street Speakeasy. JAZZ

Trett Charles, River Spirit Casino Resort, Tulsa. COUNTRY

The Wednesday Band, The Deli. COUNTRY

THURSDAY, OCT. 27

Clayton Fike, The Jones Assembly. INDIE Country Music Group Therapy/Biscuits & Groovy, The Deli. COUNTRY

Ken Mode/Frail Body/Char Pile/Black Mag net, 89th Street—OKC. METAL

Short & Broke/The BlueRays/JL Jones, Mojo’s Blues Club. BLUES

Mike McClure began his career in music after founding American Red Dirt band The Great Divide. Shortly before the group parted ways, McClure started releasing his own solo albums with his latest album, Looking Up, which tells of the struggles with addiction, insecurities and that being present in the moments is the best part of life. This singer/ songwriter will be live Fri., Oct. 28 at The Blue Door, 2805 N. McKinley Ave., 405-5240738, bluedoorokc.com. FRI, OCT 21 Photo by Chrislyn Lawrence/provided

FRIDAY, OCT. 28

Christian Nodal, Paycom Center. REGIONAL MEXICAN

Haunted House Party with My So Called Band, Beer City Music Hall. VARIOUS

McKee Brother Jazz Band, Bourbon Street Bar. JAZZ

Post Malone, BOK Center, Tulsa. RAP

Rachel Lynch & the Daydrinkers/Ben Brock Band, Blue Note. FOLK

Signs of the Swarm/VCTMS/Guerrilla War fare, 89th Street—OKC. METAL

South Austin Moonlighters, 79th St. Sound Stage Productions. AMERICANA

Stephen Salewon, The Jones Assembly.

SINGER/SONGWRITER

Triple Kick, Hollywood Corners. ROCK

Willis Alan Ramsey, The Blue Door. COUNTRY

SATURDAY, OCT. 29

Cutter Elliot, The Blue Door. COUNTRY

Forty Roses, Hollywood Corners. COVER

Haunted House Party with My So Called Band, Beer City Music Hall. VARIOUS

Highly Suspect, The Criterion. ROCK

Jane Mays and the Minnie Funk Band, Bedlam Bar-B-Q. ROCK

John Petrucci, Tower Theatre. INSTRUMEN TALIST

McKee Brother Jazz Band, Bourbon Street Bar. JAZZ

The Monster Mash Formal, Blue Note. VARI OUS

One Night Stand/Rusty Meyers, River Spirit Casino Resort, Tulsa. ROCK

Smokey Motel/Bedtime, Ponyboy. ALTERNA TIVE

Straight Dope, VZD’s Restaurant & Bar. COVER Tanner Fields/Giakob Lee, The Deli. COUNTRY

SUNDAY, OCT. 30

Caustic/Otis VCR/Typhoid, The Sanctuary. METAL

Dayglow, Cain’s Ballroom, Tulsa.

ALTERNATIVE

Hosty, The Deli. ELECTRIC Jazz Night!, Blue Note. JAZZ

Like Moths to Flames/Cane Hill, 89th Street— OKC. METAL

Mountain Smoke, UCO Jazz Lab. BLUEGRASS

No Whiners Aloud, Mojo’s Blues Club. BLUES Ratboys, Ponyboy. INDIE Tin Can Gramophone/Hosty, The Deli. FOLK

MONDAY, OCT. 31

The Aints/Bailey Gilbert & Friends, The Deli. AMERICANA

Carrie Underwood, BOK Center, Tulsa. COUN TRY

Gel, 89th Street—OKC. METAL King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, The Criterion. ROCK

Mental Mondaze, Hubbly Bubbly Hookah & Café. VARIOUS

TUESDAY, NOV. 1

Bruce Benson & Studio B, 51st Street Speakeasy. BLUES

Caleb McGee, The Deli. BLUES

Dropkick Murphys, The Tulsa Theater, Tulsa. ALTERNATIVE

Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Tower Theatre. ROCK

OS Mutantes, Beer City Music Hall. ROCK

Live music submissions must be received by Oklahoma Gazette no later than noon on Wednesday seven days before the desired publication date. Late submissions will not be included in the listings. Submissions run as space allows, although we strive to make the listings as inclusive as possible. Visit okgazette.com to submit your lisitngs or email listings@okgazette.com. Sorry, but phone submissions cannot be accepted.

THE HIGH CULTURE STRAIN REVIEWS

Strain name:

Grown by:

Acquired from: of Nichols Hills

Date acquired:

Physical traits:

dark green, deep purple and orange

Bouquet: sweet

Review: Doctor 420, Canna Club of Nichols Hills opened along Western Avenue in August. Reminiscent of an Apple store, the shop is bright and shiny with an ex tensive menu. The Marshmal low OG offers a rather nutty aroma that is quite pleasant and produces a smooth, fla vorful smoke sesh. It offers a relaxed, full-body high with out being overpowering or too heady, making it perfect for zon ing out with a spooky new Netflix limited series. Johnson Grass is the

green and orange

another newcomer to the scene, opening last month near NW 39th and Pennsylvania Av enue (they also have some pretty stellar daily deals).

Quickly sold on the name alone, the Hans Solo Burger stands out with a thick coat of trichomes that grind perfectly into a fluffy bowl. A heavy “indica,” this flower packs a punch for the nose and follows it up with a heady high making it the perfect compan ion for winding down at day’s end. OTOC Group produced a winner with

FREE WILL ASTROLOGY

WEEK OF OCTOBER 20

Homework: What do you do pretty well that you could ultimately learn to do with brilliance and mastery? Newsletter.FreeWillAstrology.com

ARIES (March 21-April 19):

“We must be willing to let go of the life we planned so as to have the life that is waiting for us.” Aries mythologist Joseph Campbell said that, and now I’m passing it on to you just in time for the Sacred Surrender Phase of your astrological cycle. Make sage use of Campbell’s wisdom, Aries! You will generate good fortune for yourself as you work to release expectations that may be interfering with the arrival of new stories and adventures. Be brave, my dear, as you relinquish outdated attachments and shed defunct hopes.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20):

Plastic bags are used for an average of 12 minutes before being discarded. Then they languish in our soil or oceans, degrading slowly as they cause mayhem for animals and ecosystems. In alignment with current cosmic rhythms, I’m encouraging you to be extra discerning in your relationship with plastic bags—as well as with all other unproductive, impractical, wasteful things and people. In the coming weeks, you will thrive by focusing on what will serve you with high integrity for a long time.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20):

Achilleas Frangakis is a professor of electron microscopy. He studies the biochemistry of cells. In one of his research projects, he investigated how cells interact with the outside world. He didn’t learn much about that question, but as he experimented, he inadvertently uncovered fascinating new information about another subject: how cells interact with each other when they heal a wound. His “successful failure” was an example of what scientists sometimes do: They miss what they looked for, but find unexpected data and make serendipitous discoveries. I suspect you will experience comparable luck sometime soon, Gemini. Be alert for goodies you weren’t in quest of.

CANCER (June 21-July 22):

Renowned Brazilian novelist Osman Lins was born under the sign of Cancer the Crab. He wrote, “I will now live my life with the inventiveness of an engineer who drives his locomotive off the tracks. No more beaten paths: improvisation is the rule.” In the coming weeks, I am all in favor of you, my fellow Cancerian, being an inventive adventurer who improvises liberally and departs from well-worn routes. However, I don’t recommend you do the equivalent of running your train off the tracks. Let’s instead imagine you as piloting a four-wheel-drive, all-terrain vehicle. Go off-road to explore. Improvise enthusiastically as you reconnoiter the unknown. But do so with scrupulous attention to what’s healthy and inspiring.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22):

In recent years, art historians have recovered numerous masterpieces that had been missing for years. They include a sculpture by Bernini, a sketch by Picasso, a drawing by Albrecht Dürer, and a painting by Titian. I’m a big fan of efforts like these: searching for and finding lost treasures. And I think you should make that a fun project in the coming weeks. Are there any beautiful creations that have been lost or forgotten? Useful resources that have been neglected? Wild truths that have been buried or underestimated? In accordance with astrological potentials, I hope you will explore such possibilities.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22):

The most important experience for you to seek in the coming months is to be seen and respected for who you really are. Who are the allies best able to give you that blessing? Make vigorous efforts to keep them close and treat them well. To inspire your mission, I offer you three quotes. 1. Franz Kafka said, “All the love in the world is useless if there is a total lack of understanding.” 2. Anais Nin wrote, “I don’t want worship. I want understanding.” 3. George Orwell: “Perhaps one did not want to be loved so much as to be understood.”

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22):

Libra poet Wallace Stevens said that the great poems of heaven and hell have already been written, and now it is time to generate the great poems of earth. I’d love to invite all Libras, including non-writers, to apply that perspective in their own sphere. Just forget about heaven and hell for now. Turn your attention away from perfection and fantasylands and lofty heights. Disregard pathologies and muck and misery. Instead, explore and celebrate the precious mysteries of the world as it is. Be a connoisseur of the beauty and small miracles embedded in life’s little details. Find glory in the routine.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21):

Here are two top Scorpio pastimes: 1. exploring and deploying your intense, fertile creativity; 2. spiraling gleefully down into deep dark voids in pursuit of deep dark riches. Sometimes those two hobbies dovetail quite well; you can satisfy both pursuits simultaneously. One of my favorite variations on this scenario is when the deep dark void you leap into turns out to actually be a lush wonderland that stimulates your intense, fertile creativity. According to my analysis of the astrological omens, that’s likely to happen soon.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21):

“I don’t want to be made pacified or made comfortable. I like stuff that gets your adrenaline going.” Sagittarian filmmaker Kathryn Bigelow said that. With the help of this attitude, she became the first woman ever to win an Academy Award for Best Director. Her film was The Hurt Locker, about American soldiers in Iraq who dispose of unexploded bombs while being harassed by enemies. Anyway, Bigelow’s approach is usually too hard-ass for me. I’m a sensitive Cancer the Crab, not a bold Sagittarius the Centaur like Bigelow and you. But I don’t want to assume you’re in the mood for her approach. If you are, though, the coming weeks will be a favorable time to deploy it. Some marvelous epiphanies and healing changes will be available if you forswear stuff that makes you pacified or comfortable.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19):

Author Jan Richardson tells us we can’t return home by taking the same route we used when we departed. This will be wise advice for you to keep in mind during the next nine months. I expect you will be attempting at least two kinds of homecomings. For best results, plan to travel by different routes than those that might seem natural and obvious. The most direct path—the successful passage—may be circuitous.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18):

In the coming days, maintain strict boundaries between yourself and anyone or anything that’s not healthy for you. Be ultra-discerning as you decide which influences you will allow to affect you and which you won’t. And rather than getting sour and tense as you do this, I recommend you proceed with wicked humor and sly irony. Here are three saucy self-protective statements you can use to ward off threats and remain inviolable. 1. “The current ambiance does not align sweetly with my vital soul energy; I must go track down some more harmonious karma.” 2. “This atmosphere is out of sync with my deep precious selfness; I am compelled to take my deep precious selfness elsewhere.” 3. “The undertones here are agitating my undercurrents; it behooves me to track down groovier overtones.”

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20):

While asleep, have you ever dreamt of discovering new rooms in a house or other building you know well? I bet you will have at least one such dream soon. What does it mean? It suggests you want and need to get in touch with parts of yourself that have been dormant or unavailable. You may uncover evocative secrets about your past and present that had been unknown to you. You will learn about new resources you can access and provocative possibilities you had never imagined.

Go to RealAstrology.com to check out Rob Brezsny’s expanded weekly audio horoscopes / daily text message horoscopes. The audio horoscopes are also available by phone at 1-877-873-4888 or 1-900-950-7700.

FIND MORE STRAIN REVIEWS AT OKGAZETTE.COM/THEHIGHCULTURE

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